Center for Local History

The Local History Collection on FLICKR is an excellent resource for patrons doing scholarly research, genealogical work, or simply pursuing a personal interest. High-quality reproductions of these and other images from our collection can be ordered for a fee from the Virginia Room at the Arlington Public Library.

The Virginia Room of Arlington Public Library was established to provide a central reference service and repository for Arlington County's historical resources as well as published materials for the region and state.

The collection includes published and non-published materials that focus primarily on Arlington County (formerly Alexandria County), both current affairs and the history of the county.

The Arlington Community Archives, which is part of the collection, consists of personal, organization, and local materials that can be accessed by finding aids. The Arlington Community Archives collects and preserves historical documents that narrate the history of Arlington County, its citizens, organizations, and social issues. Researchers can find personal papers, photographs, and archival records of local organizations, clubs, and associations. The archives are an extension of the Virginia Room, the county's local history collection located at Central Library.

Since the archives are located at an off-site facility, researchers need to allow two or three days for material to be retrieved and made available in the Virginia Room. All users are encouraged to contact the archivist or Virginia Room staff prior to a visit.

If you have suggestions for possible donations or would like to donate historical material, please contact the archivist.